


The Soulmate's Curse

by The Soulmate AU Pseud (RichardGraysonPercyJackson)



Series: The Soulmate's Curse [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Character Death, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Heartbreak, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Dick Grayson, I made an AU?, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Mentioned Jason Todd, Mentioned Lex Luther, Mirakuru Slade Wilson, Murder, Past Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson, Platonic Soulmates, Protective Slade Wilson, Romantic Soulmates, Slade Wilson is cursed, Sort Of, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Suicide, Temporary Character Death, i think, soulmate's curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27741145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/The%20Soulmate%20AU%20Pseud
Summary: It was long believed that  you and your soulmate are fated, destined, to find each other again and again in every life you live.In some cases, one half of the soulmate pair was destined to remember every life they lived, every death they died, throughout their entire existence.Some called it beautiful.Others called it a curse.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Series: The Soulmate's Curse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029285
Comments: 5
Kudos: 83





	The Soulmate's Curse

**Author's Note:**

> Don't ask what this is. It's longer than I wanted. I don't even know. I got into Soulmate's awhile back (and now, hence this new pseud) so here you go
> 
> The Soulmate's Curse

Year 1415:

“Slade, are you busy?”

“No father,” the young sixteen year old replied where he was seated in the living room of their small cabin. “What did you need?”

“I need to meet with King Bruce today,” he replied. “I was wondering if you’d like to tag along.”

Slade sighed. “I don’t really want to…” he replied, even though he knew he wasn’t being given too much of a choice. After all, his father was the head of the King’s Guard and once he was old enough, the role would be passed on to Slade.

His father was asking more out of politeness than anything else, but there was still the truth that Slade was more than likely  _ required _ to come, regardless of whether or not he wanted to.

“You wouldn't have to sit through the meeting,” his father told him, a sure sign that he was going to be expected to come now. “You could keep Prince Richard company.”

Slade sighed. “I don’t know…”

“I think you should come,” his father said. “And who knows, perhaps Prince Richard will turn out to be your soulmate.”

It was a joke but Slade scowled nonetheless, glaring down at his wrist where his soulmark lay, hidden under the long sleeve of his tunic.

The words on your arm or wrist were said to be the first words your soulmate would say to you once the two of you were alone. They were said to be, anyway, because Slade’s parents sure as hell hadn’t been alone when they’d said the words. They’d just thought they were alone.

Slade sighed softly but stood and followed his father out to the horses where they mounted and rode the short ten minute trip to the palace where they were quickly ushered into the throne room where they were greeted by King Bruce and Prince Richard.

The adults spoke for a few moments before Slade’s father grasped the young boy by the shoulder at a break in the conversation and said,

“I was thinking Slade and Prince Richard could spend some time together while we speak.” he told King Bruce. “After all, we’re speaking of politics and Slade has little interest in that at the moment.”

“Richard as well,” King Bruce agreed with a smile before looking down at the boy. “Why don’t you take Mr. Wilson’s son to the gardens? They’re lovely this time of year.”

“Of course,” Richard said, smiling before turning his attention to Slade. “Shall we?”

Slade reluctantly followed behind, feeling his father’s gaze on him all the while.

……………………………..

They’d been wandering the gardens in silence for a few moments before stopping to sit on the edge of the fountain in the center, Richard looking around at the beauty before turning to Slade and saying,

“Do you believe in soulmates?”

Slade blinked, ignoring the way his soulmark tingled on his wrist. Just because Richard had said the words on Salde’s wrist while they were alone - or thought they were alone - didn’t make the Prince his soulmate.

“I think they’re stupid,” Slade replied honestly.

Richard stared at him, long enough that Slade began to grow uneasy, before the Prince firmly demanded.

“Show me your soulmark.” while frantically rolling up his sleeve. Slade sighed, shaking his head as he reluctantly did as he was ordered, only wincing slightly when Richard grabbed Slade’s arm and yanked it towards him, pouring so deeply over Slade’s wrist that the young guard’s son swore he could feel the ebony locks of hair tickling his skin.

“ ‘do you believe in soulmates?’” Richard read off, slender fingers tracing the words before he thrust his own arm at Slade. The other hadn’t wanted to look at it, not at first, but Richard was so damn insistent on it that Slade reluctantly lowered his gaze, and-

A soft “oh” came out without his intent as he stared down at his own words, in his own handwriting, stood bold against the Prince’s pale skin. Swallowing thickly and disliking the way it felt when his heart skipped a beat, Slade lifted his head to find Richard beaming brightly at him.

“Well?” the prince asked, eagerly, as he clutched Slade’s forearm with both hands. “Do you still think soulmates are stupid?”

_ Yes _ . Slade thought, but didn’t dare to say. He didn’t get a chance to say anything, really, before Richard was dragging him up by his arm and all by flying through the garden back to the palace to reveal the revelation to King Bruce and Slade’s father.

  
  


…………...

It was long believed that every person on Earth is reborn into another after the time of their death. It was also believed - by those who believed in truth behind the idea of soulmates - that you and your soulmate are fated, destined, to find each other again and again in every life you live.

What was rare - incredibly so - was that, in some cases, one half of the soulmate pair was destined to remember every life they lived, every death they died, throughout their entire existence.

Some called it beautiful, to remember each and every incarnation of your lover.

Others called it a curse, to remember each and every  _ death _ of your fated match.

  
  


…………………..

  
  


Slade and Prince Richard were married three weeks after Richard’s twenty-third birthday in the gardens of the palace with Slade’s father, King Bruce, and Richard’s siblings as the only ones in attendance. At least, for that ceremony. Slade had wanted something small, private, never one for loud announcements and shoutouts.

But Richard was a Prince and so after allowing them one month to be wed in peace and enjoy the company of the other, a more public celebration was thrown for the people of the town.

Slade - known but every person of the kingdom’s little village - disliked the entire evening until he was finally able to curl up in bed with his soulmate and drown the day in the lips of his love.

But their love was not meant to last and a mere two years after their union - both twenty-five, Slade now promoted to King’s Guard after the sudden death of his father that past summer - a rebellion stormed the palace.

Slade had fought hard but he had been unable to save King Bruce, only able to offer a soft prayer of peace over the fallen King’s head before he stood and sprinted through the halls, in search of his Soulmate and desperate to save the one he loved from meeting the same terrible fate that the King had befallen mere moments before.

But fate was not on his side. The invaders made it to his soulmate before he and there was nothing Slade could do but lay crumpled in their shared bedchamber, Richard bleeding out in his arms but still trying to assure Slade that it was not his fault. Still smiling and assuring they would see each other again, once Slade’s time came too.

But the young guard could not bear to imagine a life without his soulmate, without his other half, and no sooner than minutes after Richard’s death, Slade lost his life to his own blade.

……………………………………….

Year: 1450

Slade’s second life began November 30th, 1450, to a neglectful peasant man and woman who were absurdly terrible parents and far from fit to raise a child.

Slade’s first life had ended in tragedy at the sharp point of a blade and so when he was fifteen and able to  _ truly _ remember and understand the death that had befallen him and his soulmate, he vowed he would not make the same mistake again.

……………………………………….

Year: 1475

He was twenty-five, wandering the village for little else to do, when he ran into a young peasant boy with dark raven hair and vibrant blue eyes that made Slade’s heart ache for his lost love. But it soon became clear that this boy was his soulmate - he had to be, with the ease at which he approached Slade while all others avoided the elder man at any cost - despite the fact that he was seventeen and much younger than Slade.

After spending several nights together in private, sneaking out with nothing but the light of the moon and falling for each other harder than Slade ever thought possible, Slade knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was his soulmate of this life.

Or at least, he thought it was. But when the boy finally came clean about his true name - Richard Grayson - and finally introduced Slade to his guardian - not father, Slade noted - named Bruce Wayneson who so strongly resembled the King from Slade’s previous life, Slade knew this was no coincidence.

Slade had never had an interest in it, but he’d heard the rumors. The blind claim that everyone has lived a life before their current and that everyone will have lives after. Whoever your soulmate is in this life has been and will be your soulmate in every life.

No one had ever said his soulmate would look exactly the same.

But there was no denying the cosmic connection between the two. Richard fell for him hard and Slade fell for Richard, silently vowing to himself - to both of them - that he would not let the same fate befall this boy as had befallen him in their last life.

But it seemed fate yet again had other plans for them, for a mere two years after finding one another, on Richard’s nineteenth birthday, Slade’s soulmate was brutally cut down by another in the village who had had his eyes on the boy and grown jealous as he watched Slade woo what he felt was rightfully his.

Slade, beaten to the ground and unable to fight back, had been defenseless and unable to raise even a hand to help as he watched the men beat his lover into a bloody death. As he lay there, weak and unable to rise, Slade recalled how he’d always felt that the idea of dying of heart break was stupid and pitiful yet there he was, wasting away in the grass beside his liver until the darkness finally claimed him too.

…………………….

Year: 1530

It was in his fourth life, when Slade was fifteen and had once again found Richard to be his soulmate, that Slade couldn’t help but remark on how Bruce Wayneson always seemed to be Richard’s guardian, no matter where they lived or what sort of financial life they led.

And in every life thus far, Bruce Wayneson wanted Slade anywhere  _ except _ near his dearly beloved son - guardian, that is. Richard had yet to be his son in any life. It was amusing, really. 

Until Slade had to watch his soulmate die for the man. Then it wasn’t so funny anymore.

……………..

While most only have one soulmate to their name, there is always the possibility for one half of a soulmate pair to bear another, considered to be a platonic soulmate.

This platonic soulmate is often a family member or friend, always appearing in one form or another in each life that that half of the soulmate relationship lives.

……………

  
  


Year: 1942

It wasn’t until his tenth life that Slade found a term - a  _ diagnosis  _ \- that would change everything.

They were in Richard’s bedroom - the boy had taken to calling himself  _ Dick _ , in this life - and Slade was seated on the floor, Richard - Dick - asleep with his head in Slade’s lap as Slade poured over books and papers he had swiped from Bruce Wayne’s office earlier that evening.

_ The Soulmate’s Curse - often returned to as The Soulmate’s Blessing - is a rare case in which one half of a Soulmate Pairing is cursed to remember every previous life and death. This half never has a happy ending with their soulmate - hence the name ‘The Soulmate’s Curse’ - and will only ever have  _ one _ peaceful end with death via natural cause. _

_ While the cursed one remembers everything from every life, their Soulmate remembers nothing and believes they are meeting their soulmate - the cursed one - for the first time. Those with the curse are fated to forever watch their soulmate die before their eyes in each life they live, save for the one with the natural death. _

That was all Slade was able to read before the air raid siren went off and Dick woke with a jerk. 

By the end of the night, both lay dead under the rubble of their home.

………………………………….

It had been a test. Joining the army, marrying Adeline, having three children with her, it had been a test. An experiment to see if he could fall in love with someone else, have a family with someone else, maybe finally break the curse that hadn’t stopped plaguing his mind since 1942.

His relationship with her hadn't worked, but Slade didn’t care. As long as he didn’t have to live through another  _ fucking _ life watching his soulmate die, he didn’t give a shit. When fifty years after his own birth went by and that  _ damned _ name never came up, those stupid blue eyes never showd up, Slade finally allowed himself to breathe.

To hope that perhaps he’d changed it. Perhaps he’d ended the curse. He was enhanced, this time. Having been to war and put through the Mirakuru experiments. The hardest part, he mused, of the war had been knowing his soulmate had been through the same thing but in the 1770s, except Dick had not survived.

Not like Slade. 

His hope didn’t last long though and in 1998, while reading the paper, Slade swore he felt his heart stop as his single eye fell upon the news headline.

_ Gotham’s Most Eligible Bachelor has just become a father! Bruce Wayne takes in newly orphaned circus acrobat, Richard Grayson, as his new ward. _

Slade stared down at the words in numb silence before quietly getting up and burning the paper in the fire raging in the hearth. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, watching it whither into nothing, before his mind forced him to process.

Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson still existed. Were still paired together as father and  _ ward _ like they’d always been since Slade’s first life in the 1400s. That was  _ fine _ , that didn’t mean anything. They were platonic soulmates, obviously, Slade hadn’t been trying to break them apart anyway.

He’d been trying to break his connection with Dick. It was  _ fine _ . Just because the boy existed, didn’t mean Slade hadn’t succeeded. It didn’t mean they were still Soulmates.

It was  _ fine _ .

Until he ran into the boy when he was thirteen, when Dick was on the streets calling himself Robin. His heart ached at the sight of his Soulmate, some unfulfilled part of himself wanting so desperately to be with him.

But he shoved it down, fighting against it. He couldn't remember what the soulmate sign was, in this life. If it was seeing color when meeting your soulmate, or a word on your skin, or tattoo, or color at the point of touch. He didn’t remember and he didn’t  _ care _ .

But there was so much he couldn’t risk. Not knowing - not  _ caring _ \- what the soulmark was was a problem and so in any of their fights, interactions, taunts,  _ anything _ , Slade was so  _ so _ careful not to touch the boy skin to skin. Careful not to open his mouth against the child’s taunts and jabs.

He could not,  _ would not _ , go through another painful life and death of loving and losing Richard Grayson.

…………………………………

On Dick’s eighteenth birthday, Slade fell into bed with him and wondered if he was a masochist and that was why he still sought the boy out even though the only time they’d ever died peacefully together had been in Slade’s sixth life in 1715.

He was careful to kick the acrobat out after their night of passion, lest the boy get ideas or see Slade’s spare room, filled with pictures and artwork he’d somehow managed to find of Richard from his previous life.

But kicking him out didn’t stop them from seeing each other more, from fighting and then falling into the sheets entangled in one another and attached at the lip.

Through every fight, every kiss, every moment of intimacy, Slade reminded himself again and again that he didn’t care. That this boy might be his soulmate but that didn’t mean he loved him. That didn’t mean he cared about him at all.

He didn’t know if that would help, if that would stop the curse. He could only  _ hope _ .

……………………..

It was around when Dick was 24 that Slade started to wonder, to truly  _ hope _ , that maybe he  _ had _ broken the curse. After all, the boy didn’t seem romantically inclined towards him and hated him more days than not. Maybe in this life they weren’t soulmates. Maybe Slade had fucked with their relationship so much that they were just platonic soulmates now.

He could handle that, so long as Dick didn’t  _ die _ because of him again.

And then Slade got caught in an explosion. He figured that was the end, as the heat licked over his skin. He might have been enhanced but even he could die to certain things.

This was the end of life eleven and he’d even gotten to spend time with his soulmate without the boy dying an unfortunate death while Slade could do nothing more than watch.

He hoped, deeply, that he hadn’t accidentally switched the curse. That Dick was the one doomed to watch him die in every life. He could only hope, with his last breath, that the curse was gone forever.

As he lay dying, his last thoughts were that at least Dick hadn’t died too.

And then he woke up.

……………………………………..

Slade blinked his eye open with a groan which turned into one of irritation when he took in the messy bedroom that absolutely was not his own.

Scowling down at the bandages that covered most of his body, Slade flung the duvet aside and shoved himself to his feet, thankful he was at least dressed in a pair of sweats. He huffed as he moved over to the door and flung it open, uncaring of the force he used, only to freeze when he was greeted with an irritatingly familiar voice.

“You shouldn’t be up yet, that blast did a lot of damage. Technically you shouldn't even be  _ conscious. _ ” 

_ It’s not real if I don’t look.  _ Slade told himself as he kept his eyes closed, a hand over his face for good measure.  _ It’s not  _ him  _ if I don’t look. _

“Are you okay?”

But there was no denying that that was Richard’s voice and with a reluctant, tired sigh, Slade dragged his gaze up to the all familiar face.

“What?” he demanded.

“I think you need to sit down,” Dick murmured, getting to his feet and walking over though Slade jerked away from his hands. The acrobat hesitated before scoffing and crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m just trying to  _ help _ .”

“I didn’t  _ ask _ for it.”

“Yeah, you never do,” Dick snapped, following Slade as the mercenary shoved past him to drop onto the couch with a huff, the acrobat standing over him with his hands on his hips. “I could have let you die, would you have preferred that?”

“Yes,” Slade growled.

Dick huffed. “Well then you are more than welcome to walk up to the roof and jump off.” The look on Slade’s face must have been a bit too seriously contemplative because Dick’s anger faded out of his voice instantly and he murmured, “Please don’t.”

Slade huffed. “I know Wayne has beat it into your head to be this stupid martyr who can’t let anyone die, even those who deserve it,” Slade drawled, not daring to look away from the window, noting it was dark enough out that he could just barely see Dick’s reflection against the glass. “But tell me why exactly you saved  _ me _ when I’m sure you’ve told me to go to hell on more than one occasion.”

_ Yeah, back in 1561 _ . His mind reminded him.  _ Not this life though _ .

Dick was silent for a moment. “Do you...you really don’t know?” he asked quietly.

“Are you just that suicidal?”

“Slade, you’re my...soulmate.”

Silence fell over the apartment. Slade sighed. He should have suspected as much. He wondered, distantly, what had ticked the acrobat off. What soulmark was in this world that he hadn’t been careful enough to avoid.

“Don’t care,” he finally snapped as he shoved himself up off the couch, heading back to the bedroom in the hopes that he had a spare shirt and shoes in there, knowing he’d left some there the last time he and Dick had fucked.

“Oh, let me guess,” Dick said as he stubbornly followed after the mercenary. “You’re one of those people who don’t believe in soulmates.”

“If that’s what it takes to end this conversation, then yes.” He needed to get out of here and away before Dick and this conversation reminded The Curse that it hadn’t killed Dick yet in this life and needed to get on that.

“Slade, come on,” Dick begged. “Let’s talk about this, please.”

“Why?” Slade snapped, spinning back around to get up in Dick’s face, trying to scare the acrobat out of the conversation so Slade could abscond through the window and get the fuck out of town. “So you can give me some lecture about how we’re cosmically meant to be together so that means I don’t really hate you?”

Dick blinked, something hurt flicking through his eyes before he mumbled, “I just didn’t think you should leave angry.”

“Know this, Richard Grayson,” Slade snapped, walking over to jab a finger in the acrobat’s chest. “I don’t like you. I don’t even give a fuck about you.”

“Are you sure?” 

“If you have to ask that, then you’re obviously not listening.”

“Then what about that photo album I found in your apartment?”

Slade blinked, straightened up, blinked again. “What?” he demanded, hoping Dick wasn’t talking about what he was thinking about.

“Okay, so Jason found it,” Dick corrected.

“Why the hell was your brother in my apartment?”

“He’s nosy.”

“Clearly.”

“But he found your entire spare room with paintings or pictures and albums of...people who looked  _ exactly _ like me.” Dick crossed his arms over his chest. “I think  _ that _ means something.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t believe that bullshit about how your soulmate in another life is your soulmate in the next life.”

Dick frowned. “Who said it was related to soulmates?”

_ Fuck _ .

“Is it?” Dick asked tentatively. “Related to soulmates, I mean?”

“Let it go, Grayson.”

“I believe that our souls are together from life to life,” Dick explained, even though Slade hadn’t asked. “But I don’t believe the soulmates look the same from life to life. I mean, I believe there’s  _ one _ case where that’s not true, but…” Dick shrugged.

“And what case might that be, Grayson?”  _ Why am I still listening? Why am I still here, tempting fate? _

“Have you ever heard of The Soulmate’s Curse?” Slade’s heart stopped. “I was doing some research on it, awhile ago.”

“Why?”  _ Don’t sound interested. Don’t act interested. Don’t sound interested. Don’t act interested. _

“It’s not important,” Dick replied, waving off his question. “Anyway, the curse is that within a soulmate pair, one of which looks the same in every single life. The difference from this soulmate pair to most others is that one of them remembers every life and every death. It’s the one who always dies that looks-”

“I know what the curse is, grayson. Why are you telling me?”

“Because I thought that might be the case with us.”

Slade sneered, even as his heart beat hard enough to hurt. “Well then you’d better run, shouldn't you?” he growled, leaning forward to get in Dick’s face in an attempt to scare the acrobat off. “Because if that’s the case, then it’s only a matter of time before you die.”

“I already have.”

Slade opened his mouth to keep talking but paused once his brain caught up with what DIck had just said.

“What?” he heard himself ask.

“Right before Bruce made me work with Spyral,” Dick elaborated. “Lex Luthor killed me. I mean, I was only dead for a minute, but…” he shrugged. “I think it still counts?” he looked down at himself. “I mean...I’m not dead  _ yet _ , am I? Usually the half who dies dies soon after finding out about their soulmate and I’ve known for a while, so…” he shrugged again.

“How long?” Slade demanded.

Dick shrugged a third time. “A while,” he repeated uselessly.

Slade pulled his upper lip into a sneer. “Not particularly helpful, Grayson.”

“Well sorry I can’t remember exactly when I realized you were my soulmate,” Dick drawled. “I can’t imagine it could have anything to do with when I turned eighteen and you finally stopped being an avoidant jackass and slept with me.”

Slade blinked. He had nothing to say to that. Dick sighed.

“How much do you know about The Soulmate’s Curse?”

“Enough?”

“So you know we broke it then? Well, I did.  _ Well _ , your last client did.”

Slade frowned, opened his mouth, closed it and frowned more. “What?”

“The Soulmate’s Curse is where one half of the Soulmate pair is doomed to die in every single life, right?” Dick asked. “With their other half, you, unable to do anything to help?”

“Yes…”

“In how many lives have I died _ alone _ ?” Dick asked. “How many deaths have I had where you weren’t around?”

Slade blinked, thinking, frowning. “None,” he finally replied, reluctantly.

Dick shook his head. “Wrong,” he corrected. “In  _ this life _ , I died. Technically. At Luther’s hand.” he shrugged, as though being murdered by your guardian’s business partner was no big deal. “But my point is-”

“I wasn’t there.”

“Which made it different from every other life,” Dick finished. “And then  _ you  _ died. Technically, but still.”

“It’s broken?” Slade asked. “You’re  _ sure _ .”

“Absolutely,” Dick replied, smiling. “Is there any way to prove this?”

“How soon after finding out you were my soulmate did I usually die?”

“Within a few years.”

“I’ve known you were my soulmate for about six years now,” Dick told him.

“Which is, on occasion, around when you die.”

“Yeah,” Dick agreed. “Except my twenty-fifth birthday is in two weeks.”

Slade blinked. “Just be clear. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Sorry.” Dick flushed before clearing his throat. “My point is, if I can make it to my twenty-fifth birthday, I think we’re in the clear.”

Slade heaved a sigh. “I’m going to beat your brother’s ass for being in my apartment when he had no business there.”

Dick shrugged. “That’s fair,” he agreed.

Slade scoffed, shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. After a few awkward moments of silence, he said,

“What are you expecting now? For me to surge up and kiss you, treat you like the way soulmates are supposed to treat their other half?”

Dick shook his head. “I think you’ll hurt yourself if you try that,” Dick replied. “And I’m not expecting you to treat me like a soulmate. Hell, I’m honestly not even expecting you to  _ acknowledge _ that we’re soulmates once you leave.”

Slade carefully kept his expression clear. “Why do you think that?”

“Uh…” Dick gave a scoff-laugh. “Cause you’re you?” he replied. “You know, the most emotionally constipated person I’ve ever met aside from, you know, Bruce?”

“And whose fault is that?”

Dick went still. “What?”

Slade pressed his lips together. He hadn’t meant to say that. “Who I am now is a result of spending the last ten lives watching you die.”

Dick felt bad now. “Oh.” he shifted his weight to his other foot. “How many...ten lives, that’s...how many years?”

“What?”

“How many years have you had?” Dick clarified. “Since your first life?”

Slade hmmed. “My first life started in 1416,” he recalled. “I died at the age of twenty-five.”

“Oh.”

“Combining all my lives, I’ve lived…” Slade took a few silent moments to calculate before finally replying, “Five hundred and sixty years.”

“Fuck, Slade, that’s…” Dick huffed. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? It’s not your fault.”

Dick still looked guilty before somewhat changing the subject and asking, “Do we...always look the same in every life?”

“You do,” Bruce replied. “My appearance has changed a few times.”

“Are our names the same?”

“Every time, yes,” Slade replied. “You didn’t start calling yourself ‘Dick’ until the...tenth life.”

“How long was that one?”

“1920 to 1942.”

“I’m...really sorry, Slade.”

“For what?”

Dick sighed. “Look, just stay here until you heal from the blast,” he said, fully changing the subject now. “After that, it’s up to you.”

Slade frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we probably stopped the curse, right?” Dick replied. “You have no obligation to be my soulmate.”

“Except, according to society, I have every obligation.”

“I’m not going to force you to be my soulmate, Slade.”

“I’ve watched you die nine different times, you think I’m going to leave now that I know that’s not going to happen?”

Dick shifted. “To be honest, I have no idea what you’re going to do.”

Slade hummed. “Tell you what,” he said. “Give me time to  _ heal _ , another day or two, and then we can give this Soulmate thing a  _ serious _ discussion.”

It was almost adorable, really, how Dick tried to hide his excitement. “If you want.”

Slade hummed. “So it’s a date,” he said, allowing himself a smile. “Three days.”

“Three days.” Dick smiled back. “I’ll be there.”


End file.
